The Ministry of Social Services has issued an apology to a Prince Albert woman who was denied access to seeing her own children.
The woman, who can only be identified as “A.H.” recently won a court decision allowing her to be reunited with her kids.
They had been seized from her after she fell upon hard times, and was repeatedly denied overnight visits with them even after she turned her life around.
A Saskatoon judge ordered the ministry to produce an explanation about why this happened.
In a decision published on the Queen’s Bench website, Justice Geoffrey Dufour writes he has since received the ministry’s report and is satisfied with it.
According to the Dufour’s decision, the ministry admitted it fell short of the standard required with respect to following the explicit orders of the court in this case.
It seems a caseworker and her supervisor decided not to comply with a court order, telling them to arrange overnight visits between the family, because they felt the mother would become overwhelmed and the children would be at risk.
The ministry concluded a mistake was made, and has since issued an email to all employees in the Child and Family Service division outlining the importance of strictly following court orders and the risk of serious ramifications for not doing so.
There is also an ongoing review of all court orders across the province to ensure the ministry is in compliance with them.
The judge says he is satisfied no further court action is warranted and the matter is now concluded.